Start Listening To: Mên An Tol

Folk-hearted guitar music with a sense of place. Mên An Tol on their debut EP, live energy, and finding beauty in the everyday.

There’s something timeless about Mên An Tol’s music, rooted in folk traditions yet charged with the energy of contemporary guitar music. Named after an ancient Cornish stone formation, the band blends poetic storytelling with the raw excitement of live performance, creating songs that feel both intimate and expansive. Having recently wrapped up a residency at Dublin Castle and with their debut EP The Country on the horizon, they’re fast becoming a name to watch. We caught up with them to talk about the inspirations behind their sound, the importance of connection, and what’s next for the band.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We’re Bill, Tom, Max, Robert and Felix and we’re Mên An Tol. We’re from all over the UK really but we all live where the band got together in South East London. We make guitar music with a folk heart, I believe folk music is people music or even pop music, so although we have a mandolin player in the band the folk side is more the spirit of connection with people.

‘Set In Stone’ has been described as a song of positivity and hope. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it and how it came together in that kitchen above the pub?

It’s really one of the first collaborations between Tom and myself. We hadn’t been living together long and we were both going through darker times, and this song was a kinda torch and mark in the sand that not only will things get better but we can write good songs together too.

Your music seems to capture both the energy of live performance and the beauty of rural landscapes. How do those two influences shape your songwriting? You’ve just wrapped up a residency at Dublin Castle. What was that experience like?

The band formed through playing live, in the studio or on stage. It’s where the power of the band lies. We’re greater than the sum of our parts for sure. Lyrically I just write what I see, or from my experiences or other people's. If it’s not something I can relate to, how can anyone else? The only rule for me is that it comes from truth and real life.

‘The Country’ is your debut EP - what themes or ideas tie the tracks together?

I hope the thread running through all the songs is one of positivity ultimately. Holding belief and seeing the beauty in your surroundings. The EP is a snapshot of us right now - nights in London, love and escape.

‘NW1’ was a big moment for you, with support from BBC 6 Music and So Young. Did you expect it to resonate so strongly, and how has that response impacted the band?

With NW1 we knew we had a good song because it felt good to play and our mates liked it when we recorded it. So we hoped it would do as well as it has but at the same time we know what we have and that it’s just the start. We’re all buzzed off of it and it just confirms our passion.

Your music has been described as a celebration of home and surroundings. What places have had the biggest influence on your sound?

I can only really speak for myself, and it’s been very black and white. It’s growing up in Cornwall feeling a real sense of other from the rest of the UK, playing in folk sessions in the pubs and then moving to London and feeling the energy of everything all at once. Meeting all sorts of people and having the constant stimulation only a big city brings.

You’ve played headline shows, a residency, and supported Yannis And The Yaw at KOKO. What’s been the most memorable live moment for you so far? You’re set to play The Great Escape this year. What can people expect from your live set?

Yannis has become a friend and has always championed our music so I think supporting Yannis And The Yaw at KOKO is a highlight for us, just to play on that stage in that venue and have so many people hearing our music at once. Again it just felt like confirmation that this is right for us. We’re looking forward to Great Escape, we’ll have a few more songs out there plus some time between now and then to hone a new set.

Your lyrics have a poetic, storytelling quality. Do you take inspiration from literature, or do they come more from personal experience?

I’d say more from experience but with an effort to keep them concise and to the point. Clearly growing up playing folk songs has had an influence, but more in their ability to get a story across in a fast and engaging way. You only have to sit in on a Trad Cornish or Irish session to be around songwriting greatness.

‘Set In Stone’ was written during a time of uncertainty. Do you see music as a way to process and anchor emotions, both for yourselves and for your listeners?

100%, it’s just another form of communication. I also realise no one really wants someone to sing their diary at them, but a story told well is a powerful thing. Stories are what connects us all.

Your name references the ancient Cornish stone formation. How did you settle on that as your band name, and does it hold a particular meaning for you?

The fact that it’s in Cornwall is significant, but apart from that it just sounded and looked cool and pagan. Saying that we’re forever cursed as it's mispronounced and misspelled all the time!

What do you love right now?

I love living in London and all that comes with that, constantly finding new spots and taking it all in.

What do you hate right now?

When posh lads wear 95’s and just missing a bus.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

No Need To Argue - The Cranberries because it's perfect start to finish. Although listening to it can have a kinda overwhelming nostalgia from my parents playing it.

With your EP on the way, how do you see Mên An Tol evolving in the next year? Are there any sounds or ideas you’re keen to explore?

I see us just plodding along getting music out there, and playing more gigs. As far as sounds and ideas it’ll remain the same, to write the perfect anthems to peoples lives, real connection.